Former Trump aide Steve Bannon plans foundation to fuel far-right movements in Europe
‘The Movement’ aims to counter the influence of controversial left-wing billionaire George Soros
Steve Bannon has announced plans to establish a foundation in Europe that he hopes will fuel the spread of right-wing populism across the continent.
Donald Trump’s former chief adviser in the White House told the Daily Beast website that he wanted to offer a rightwing alternative to George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, which has given away US$32bn to largely liberal causes since it was established in 1984, in efforts to sway the politics of other countries.
“Soros is brilliant,” Bannon told the website. “He’s evil, but he’s brilliant.”
The foundation, which Bannon said would be called The Movement, will offer polling, advice on messaging and data targeting and research to a network of rightwing parties across Europe that are enjoying a significant surge in support.
Bannon has met rightwing politicians across the continent in the past 12 months, including Ukip’s former leader, Nigel Farage, members of Marine Le Pen’s National Front in France and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.
He told the Daily Beast that he envisioned a “supergroup” within the European parliament that could supply as many as a third of MEPs after next May’s Europe-wide elections. He also said he planned to spend half of his time in Europe once the US midterm elections are over in November.